I sat in my dome viewing information on my node screen. I was scheduled to meet with Siri on the maker control ship named Lean. I had asked Rigil to accompany me and introduce me to Siri but he politely yet adamantly declined. Bollate would take me. I gave myself time to research since I had never had dealings with the Alhiisians. They were reptilian but not like my brother LUC. Siri was a female of her race and large for her gender. She ruled the makers with an iron fist from her berth on the Lean. The females of her race had been exempted from inclusion among the other women on the Tzhan Simach for religious reasons. I guess I was the only one who didn't know there were women Alhiis.

Their race dominated the manufacturer’s guild. That is not to say other races did not work among the makers. As far as I could tell, only the Kee were restricted, and quite frankly I was glad. The homeworld dietary preference of the Alhiisians was primate. I knew as I sat in my dome that I would be intimidated in the presence of such a formidable character. The image of Siri on my node screen was frightening. At seven heads, she was taller than the average humanoid. Her shoulders were broad and her form retained the muscular attributes of her race. The lower jaws of the Alhiis were large in the sense of a carnivorous predator and their mouths were filled with sharp carnassials. While there were some scales, the average Alhii body was protected by large pads placed over what used to be their major muscles.

I turned my dome toward the Kaizen quadrant of the armada. The twelve ships to the right rear of our fleet sparkled like small diamonds. The approach of my meeting with Siri made me apprehensive. I thought I understood why Rigil avoided her. I sighed and decided my procrastination had to end. I took the lift to the work area below and found the Kee busy at the GUF. A goat, laid atop the altar, bled out. Its blood, quickly incorporated, powered the engine so that the internal mists danced and sparked. A soft whine was barely audible. I headed to my quarters to change.

Bollate greeted me at the open door of his shuttle and we set course for the Lean. I had sought time to calm myself in a long trip, however, my anxiety never parted. I was on edge. I fingered my silent pendant wishing my father was available to talk me through the meeting. How much longer would they keep him in his tree? I made a mental note to Visit his tree techs. The cabin of the shuttle was silent and I would have enjoyed the distraction of a conversation with Bollate but I really had nothing to say. I resigned myself to the meeting but I could not shake the feeling that I was marching to my own execution. My imagination startled me with mental images of Siri biting off my head.

Still in the Darhth quadrant, Bollate turned to me and spoke. “I’ve received word from the Trident. Captain Taush has requested we deviate and pick him up.”

I felt the familiar thump of our shuttle docking. A moment later came the barely audible hiss of the doors opening and closing. Taush walked in and sat quietly beside me. He carried a small GM extension in his right hand. When he laid it in his lap, I could see the lighted screen and the schematic of the very craft I was going to inspect. Taush turned to me with his chiseled military version of a smile and addressed me. I had half-expected him to say something military. His back was straight and his military manner, as always, was front and center. Instead, his words were casual and friendly.

“Heir, you look well,” said he.

I was dressed in my official tunic. I did not like the aggressive pretense of flouting my relationship with the king. I thought of it as a cheap shot. Still, considering the person I was to meet, I thought it might give me a needed edge in negotiations. The tunic was white, knee-length, and adorned with the red sash of blood about my waist and the purple vest of royalty. Wearing it made me feel uncomfortably self-conscious.

I answered Taush politely, “I am not as impeccably dressed as you are, sir. I can only hope that I make a good impression with Siri.”

“Siri makes a grand show. No cause for alarm,” said the Captain.

I asked, “Then, you have experience with her?”

“Some,” he replied. “I was going to use the tree when I was alerted to your course. Actually, I wanted this time to speak with you. I had designs on the finished craft. Then, it occurred to me that you had little other reason to be traveling to the makers. May I ask, what is your interest in the craft?”

I was relieved on many levels. I hoped that I did not inadvertently sigh like the inexperienced placeholder that I was. I admit I was green and tender like the small blade newly sprouted from the soil. I needed help and lots of it. If Taush knew his way around Siri, I could stand behind his expertise. He had a more commanding persona than I could ever hope to present. If Taush would stand beside me, that would lend the credibility of the entire military to my endeavor.

I turned in my seat to face him and gave my reply. “I am tasked with a great responsibility. The Kee are finally coming into their own. Yet, they are scattered throughout the fleet like unspoken dreams. I hope to bring them fully into the collective races of our great armada but, first, I need to give them a place of their own. I was hopeful that I might acquire the finished craft and provide the Kee with a real home.”

The Captain answered, “It is as I thought. My designs on the craft were idle. It was there but I really did not need another ship. I thought to claim it only because I saw there was no other claim on it. I serve the king,” said Taush, sitting impossibly straight. “I serve the heir. Please allow me to assist in the acquisition, inspection, and fitting negotiations.”

 

I was stunned. I'm afraid my mouth may have fallen open in an unseemly manner. I struggled to respond. I had not expected such an enormous windfall. With the support of the Captain, I could stand before the makers with confidence. It was as if all my worries had been for nothing. I had been a silly boy entertaining silly fears. Finally, I could speak.

“Yes, Captain Taush. Thank you so much.”

We stepped from the shuttle onto the Lean and the first thing that struck me was the smell. Like the fumes of hell, the smoke of burning metal assailed the eyes and nostrils. I found it offensive. I did not want to breathe but at cycle nine, I had no choice. Bollate remained in the shuttle as Taush and I stood inside the vast factory of the Lean. Workers and trolleys raced noisily to and fro. Along the bulkhead to our left were the built-in ovens. They were the Lean’s claim to fame. It was a craft brought from their homeworld and perfected over countless revolutions of practiced science. An intricate system of pulleys maneuvered massive buckets filled with molten metal which were emptied into broad molds with a jarring roar.

Along the right-most bulkhead were the berths of the Alhiis. They stretched up toward the ceiling, ladders, and holes, until they reached an impossible height. The ships of the makers had to be large to do what they did. The Lean was not the largest ship in the manufacturer’s guild but it was fully reconfigurable. It changed its shape for each of the fourteen Alhiisian home world’s seasons. A small trolley was sent to pick us up, and we were whisked forward as the business of the Lean dashed around us at a maddened pace. We turned right at the end of the berths as our Huim driver took us deeper into the ship’s twisted bowels. We passed through an expansive section used to store ship plating then through a series of smaller work sections.

I saw Oliphareans of the bovine form and Axerri both with and without animal heads. All were absorbed in their labors. There were more Huim workers than I expected to see, many at cycle nine or below, wearing face masks and eye protection. The driver turned suddenly up a ramp and I noticed that practically no wall was completely free of berths. The Alhiis were large and lumbering. All of them stared at me as we passed through. I felt conspicuous and exposed. It was a welcome distraction when the Captain sat forward and tapped the driver’s shoulder for attention.

He asked, “Where exactly is Siri?” 

“Oh! Yes sir,” said the driver, “sorry. The boss is up in their sanctum. She wanted a quiet place for the meeting.”

The sanctum, as I understood it, was a room where their religious laws were enforced. It was part chapel and part court. It was normally positioned at the top of the craft as it had its own shuttle docking–which begged the question, why were we made to dock at the foul-smelling end of the ship? I think, as Taush later speculated, it was for pride and for the Alhii sense of superiority. We stopped in a circular area at the end of a hallway that approached the sanctum. Both sides of the hallway were stacked with berths fourteen high. As we walked toward the sanctum, I could hear the accused penitents sobbing mournfully. The driver explained.

“According to Siri, the Alhiis have lost the faith. These berths are a kind of punishment.”

The hallway was rather long. The moans of those being punished in their berths saddened me. Our driver took us to the sanctum door, whereupon, he quietly turned on his heels and walked away. Taush pushed the ornate doors open and we walked in. The ceiling was high with pulleys and chains. Along both walls were devices obviously used for torture. I saw burning fires and firebrands. I saw stained tables and wall-mounted shackles. An acrid smoke pooled near the ceiling as the vents struggled to pull it from the room. Toward the back of the room, I saw a simple metal stairway that accessed a balcony and door half-way up the wall. Siri squatted in the center of the room, her long tail moving rhythmically from side to side.

 

“Ah, heir!” She stood and hailed us in a deep raspy voice. “Come. Come.”

Taush and I stood before an impressively large reptilian. Her face was blunt, part dragon part dog. A long tongue flicked through predominant teeth and her breathing seemed labored. Without warning, she leaned over me and put her face close to mine, peering intently into my eyes. I held my breath as I feared I might find hers objectionable. She turned quickly to look into the Captain’s face before pulling back and rolling her large eyes slowly back to me.

“Weak Huim,” she grated. Her verdict rumbled up from her chest and I realized that she could be no more than a cycle nine.

Tens and above had lung equivalents and used air to speak. They had no need for air, which is why I was temporarily confused when Taush spoke and I turned to him from Siri.

“We are here to request the release of your latest ship and negotiate its internal fitting,” said Taush.

Siri resumed her squatting position and asked, “You speak for the heir?”

“I am here,” answered Taush, “in the role of assistant.”

I cleared my throat and brought Siri’s attention back to me. I said, “I have studied the specifications and I find that your work on the new craft is superior.” I was shooting for a compliment that might soften the rough edge of Siri’s initial assessment.

“Of course. Of course,” answered Siri. “Siri make all things right. If Siri was heir, Siri make fleet right.”

“Things are what they are,” corrected Taush.

“Things change,” returned Siri. Bolting suddenly to her full height, she spread her arms and said, “Just look at Siri’s makers. Go from wrong to right in under one revolution.”

 

“Your ambitions are duly noted and monitored,” said Taush unflinchingly, “but do not presume to challenge the heir. He has the full support of the armada and command of the military.”

I could see the meeting was spiraling out of control but had not a clue how to reign in the Captain and Siri as they butted heads. I held up a hand and said, “Stop. Both of you. I act in father’s name until his return. Father is the armada. Whatever might be wanting, father will make it right.”

“Foolish heir!” Siri thrust her face once more into mine. She said to me, “Loyalty good, false bravery weak. Father dies. All fleet knows this. Siri not the only one believes strength must follow strength. Heir can not fill void.”

Taush took a stern tone. “Siri,” he asked, “are you the leader of the manufacturer’s guild?”

Siri answered proudly, “Only number one looks you in face.”

Taush shot back, “Then know your place. Do your job.”

“Fine,” said Siri with an idle wave of one hand. Crouching again, she said, “You will want to inspect first.”

“Yes,” said the Captain. “Now would be advantageous.”

“Up steps, through door. Siri has shuttle for you.”

Taush took my arm and led me to the steps. We mounted them and the Captain’s hand grasped the handle when Siri called up to me, “Heir.”

I turned and looked down. Siri crouched where we left her. Her back was to me when I answered, “Yes, Siri.”

She said, “Siri mad at you. You take away Mikal. Good source.”

I had no idea what to make of her statement but the Captain did not allow me to pause very long. He opened the door and pulled me through. A short hallway led to an early model airlock. We entered and sealed the room. The door on the opposite side opened to us and Taush led the way into a starkly utilitarian worker shuttle. The lights were dim and there were no seats. We held onto the overhead handrails as the shuttle shook free of the locking mechanism with a jarring thump. It was then that I saw the Captain go full-scale military as he assessed the pilot and copilot, both Alhiis.

I knew the Captain viewed existence from an altogether different experience than mine. I was not prepared to gather a sense of the situation. The sudden military tensing of the Captain’s demeanor should have alerted me to dangerous possibilities, but I was naive. The trip, being relatively short, ended in an unaccustomed locking transition. It threw me from my position. My grip on the overhead handrail was lost and I staggered toward the center of the craft. Thankfully, the Captain reached out and took my arm. As I steadied myself, the door opened unceremoniously.

We stepped into the finished ship, and I was immediately struck by the vast emptiness. The ducts and tubing were in place but there was an unspoken echo about it. We stood in the rear of the craft looking forward. In the distance were the navigation and operational area. It was partially complete. The Captain seated us in an unused trolley and drove us slowly forward. We estimated the craft might be fitted for eight decks with rooms to either side of central walkways. Taush halted the trolley, and we decided to take a lift up to the operational center for a quick inspection before heading back. 

Adequately appointed, I saw that command might, at some future time, be handed over the Kee. There were operational cabins and halls on three sides. None of them had been fitted with doors. I wandered left, touching consoles and displays I was unfamiliar with while the Captain wandered right, commenting on this